BMW 330e News

With more than 250,000 BMW plug-in electric vehicles already on global roads, the makers of the ultimate driving machine are now planning to make EV technology an integral part of its brand and production process. BMW is emboldened by seeing sales of its plug-in cars increase by nearly 50 percent this year. “We are preparing our car architectures and our factories to flexibly integrate this technology,” said Oliver Zipse, BMW’s chief of production. “For us, creating that flexibility is the most efficient way to profitably offer electric cars.”

The all-electric version of the 2017 Honda Clarity started arriving in dealerships in the past few weeks. The full-size sedan, which is only available in California and Oregon, leases for $269 a month for 36 months with $1,999 due at signing. The all-electric Clarity can travel 89 miles on a single charge. That puts Honda in the unfortunate position of introducing an EV with a driving range significantly lower than the new generation of electric cars.

In the past five years, BMW has invested more than $2 billion in its electric vehicle program. Yet, sales have been relatively modest, with a significant uptick in plug-in adoption yet to come. “We expect rather quick progress in every field, be it price, range or charging,” said BMW’s Heinrich Schwackhöfer, product manager for the i3. “Today, we are still at the very beginning of this huge change process.”

Nissan and BMW announced last week that the two companies will add 120 new quick-charge locations across 19 key EV states. The move is part of a trend which has seen the number of quick-charge stations rapidly expand in 2015.

In 2014, BMW introduced two plug-in vehicles: the all-electric i3 and plug-in hybrid i8 sports car. But that might be merely a precursor to a set of new practical plug-in Bimmers coming in 2015 and beyond.